Gracie standing in front of what would eventually become her bedroom window.
The day my custom skydive container was returned to me from the girl I had
sold it to 5 years prior!
February
The MeStrong 5K is a race in our town that I run every year. I had no idea
this would be my last race for a while!
Watching Daddy skydive.
Girls day! And Gracie's first hair cut.
Watching her big sister dance.
Bearsy and Turtle taking a little nap.
Bart made this for us in his prototyping machine for Valentines Day. :)
Venom extraction at the Deland Reptile Discovery Center.
One of our many camping trips at the property during the home build.
Well water pump. Check!
If you look closely you can see where Summer singed her hair on the fire.
Erica and I doing some background vocals for a Grateful Dead cover band.
March
The kids REALLY enjoyed watching the concrete truck do its thing!
We made SO many memories at 2120 East Kicklighter before the house was even built. This
is one of the fond things I will remember about 2020.
For just $1 a day, you can help feed a child in need. Checks can be mailed
to 2120 East Kicklighter Road, Lake Helen, FL 32744.
Thailand
Thailand was most definitely the highlight of our 2020. Unbeknownst to us at the time, it was the perfect experience to have before returning home to chaos. In fact, we almost didn't make it home due to airports and countries shutting down! Even when we left, on our flight from New York to South Korea, the flight attendants were already in full safety garb, there was no drink service, and a lot of talks of "Corrid" 19 over the intercom which at this point was still a very foreign term. Naturally, "Corrid" became a bit of an inside joke before "Covid" made it unfunny.
When we arrived in Thailand it was around 3am before we reached our hotel. Mom had set us up with a GORGEOUS Marriott hotel overlooking the lush landscape and beautiful, crystal blue ocean. We didn't see much at night but when we woke up, our eyes opened to that gorgeous sight (photo below) and it took our breaths away! That's when I knew it was gonna be a beautiful and epic adventure. Our friends Nick and Lindsay had arrived before us so after we had some breakfast, we had our Thailand reunion and immediately hopped on some scooters to begin exploring the island. We stopped along the way to play with some elephants which turned out to be the bucket list item I never knew I had! Such gigantic creatures and standing next to them is nothing short of humbling and hilarious. The "handlers" made sure to give us the full experience. I never knew I could be kissed by an elephant and like it but - when in Thailand, am I right? I also got an elephant "massage" which involved being slapped repeatedly on the back with his trunk. It was definitely the most bizarre massage I've ever had! We only had 2 days to explore the island before boarding our 5 day live aboard scuba boat and we made the most of them! For me, those 2 days were my favorite part of the trip. Riding around with Bart and our best friends in this incredible place, stopping every 10 minutes to sample cheap and delicious Thai food, conversations, tons of laughter, and even some completely disgusting peep shows. Bart and I both remarked that even if the trip had ended there, we would have been satisfied. But it didn't end there! We then boarded the scuba boat with about 15 other people to start our five day, off the grid journey into the Andaman Sea.
Now, it's worth noting that I had quite a bit of anxiety going into this trip. After all, I had never been away from the kids for 9 days and I had certainly never been on the other side of the world from them! To add to that, we had no way of communicating with home for the duration of our trip. All of this led to some rough times for this Mom during our trip. I had a very difficult time diving - something I've NEVER struggled with before. But a panic attack at 90 feet on our first dive really messed with my head for the remainder of the dives. There were lots of tears - we'll just leave it at that! But thanks to our dive guide, James, I was able to reclaim my spot in our dive group after missing out on seeing a giant blue whale on the one and only night dive. Talk about FOMO! James worked with me calmly and patiently every day to make sure I didn't miss anything else. Thanks to James, I was able to see our other bucket list item - MANTA RAYS! Another unbelievably humbling experience. Nick and Lindsay had seen them before and I was always in awe when I'd watch their GoPro footage. And here we were, right alongside them, swimming with Manta after Manta after Manta! I have no idea how many we saw over the course of our trip. Too may to count! They are not common that time of year but because of the plankton in the water, they had come to feed. The plankton made for pretty poor visibility for all of our dives, but it was SO worth it for the Mantas. We even swam with one while snorkeling! In general, the sea life in the Andaman Sea is so different than any diving we had done before. Endless varieties of fish and coral, and the most beautiful star fish you can imagine. Even with poor visibility it was the best diving of our lives.
The amazing thing about a live aboard dive boat is when you aren't diving, you're either eating, sleeping, or hanging out. It's essentially a schedule of dive, eat, nap, repeat! Three dives a day followed by the best Thai food you can imagine, cooked by a single lady below deck. At the end of the day, beer and socializing and talking about the day's events. On our last night, after a farewell BBQ with the boat staff, everyone jumped off the top level of the deck into the dark ocean! An amazing way to end the trip of a lifetime. So much laughter and so much fun with all of the friends we had been living with and gotten to know well over those 5 days. Friends from all over the world who we knew we'd never see again, but with whom we'd always share this spectacular memory. Nick and Lindsay, we are forever grateful you let us crash your trip! Thank you for showing us the island and making sure we packed as much as we could into those 9 days. I can't imagine having that experience with anyone else. Love you guys!
(NOTE: Photos completely out of order. LOL!)
The "store" on the plane to South Korea.
Riding the "tuk tuk" to our hotel room.
Our view when we woke up!
The most incredible breakfast buffet I have ever seen with just about every kind of food from any
country you could think of. We actually ate Indian food for breakfast because it was THAT good!
Ever been slapped on the back repeatedly by an elephant trunk? I hadn't either.
Talk about random! Our friend Paulina (Bart's friend for many years) was
visiting from Poland at the same time we were!
Just your typical street food!
Bart studying for his deep diver exam.
The blue whale.
Scorpions!
JAMES!
California
After returning from Thailand, we decided we hadn't tested our travel luck enough quite yet. So we decided to head to California for our usual March family visit. This is when things took a turn in the "Corrid 19" fiasco. Our flight home to Florida was canceled several times before we finally made it out several days after our scheduled return. It was very hard to be away from Bart during that time however, I was SO grateful to be in lockdown at Kristy's house so that the kids could play together and we could have each other for support. All things considered, that first week of quarantine wasn't so bad! The world hadn't gone entirely mad yet. Well, except for the toilet paper.
There was one nail salon still open so we took the girls for mani/pedis while we could!
April
The mantra in April was to keep things as normal as possible for the kids. Even with most places closed, we still managed to have some fun! This was the time when you could go to the beach as long as you kept moving. Still makes me laugh. But we spent a lot of time there just running around and getting some sunshine. And of course, camping at the property was a regular event. We also celebrated Easter with a nice and relaxing day with friends, egg hunts, and a delicious Easter brunch.
Gracie helping out at TST.
This picture was taken right as Bart's Covid symptoms began. You can really tell in his face!
Family Photos by Erin Miller Photography
May
In May, we had a visit from the Roblee clan! Once again, being with family during shut down times made life so much better. We also got to take them camping at the property and show them the progress of the house! Gracie also got to have a dance recital which was so unexpected given the times. Thankfully her dance teacher was hell bent on giving the kids some normalcy. So she arranged to have the entire event outside. It was so beautifully done and the theme was "When Life Gives You Lemons." Just another reason we love Ms. Jessica!
June
In June, Gracie turned 5 and I turned 35. We had a unicorn themed birthday party and thankfully many friends were happy to join us for the festivities. Things were starting to open back up a bit during this time and I remember feeling such hope. We enjoyed more beach trips, camping with friends, and our first time doing the tooth fairy thing!
Mommy daughter brunch date.
Summer polishing her crocs at school. LOL!
Camping in Melbourne.
July
Because the kids school had been canceled in March, they resumed their year in June and July. So our summer really officially began in July. While we had already been enjoying some summer festivities, we really kicked it off with a trip to Cocoa Beach with Mom and Dad. This was also the time we began preparing our home at 3625 Royal Fern Circle to be listed for sale. Between Covid, building the house, and preparing the house for sale, we had quite a bit going on!
Lobster fresh from Maine. Doesn't get much better!
This is what happens when your kids want beet soup after the white carpet has been professionally cleaned!
Last day of school in July.
Reading material always helps with potty training.
Quintessential Florida summer!
Cocoa Beach.
August
The house really started to move alone in August. This was when we had to make a lot of decisions about tiles and countertops and stuff we had no idea about! But we broke up the stress with beach trips, a getaway to St. Petersburg, Summer's first hair cut, bowling, and even a trip to West Palm Beach to join Bart for the races!
Playdate with Gracie's sweet friend Cristina.
The kitchen.
We had this fireplace for 8 years and never lit it until this day. Mid summer, right before moving. Gracie was very excited.
Summer's first night in a big girl bed!
First day of school.
Mahgy's 98th birthday on Zoom!
Summer's first haircut. She was quite relaxed. ;)
On our way to St. Petersburg.
Dance camp recital.
September
The day Summer and Maddox finally became friends. They were born just a few weeks a part and could never seem to find their common ground. LOL!
Sending a balloon up to "Lou Lou Bell" - their nanny's little doggie who passed away.
Carpool to school!
Where are Gracie and Summer?
Just a couple of Elsas eating pizza.
Mommy daughter date at Medieval Times!
October
October was a fun month! For Bart's birthday, the girls and I surprised him with a wine and food pairing dinner at our very own Unicorn Café. We had a 5 course meal made and served by the kids and me. I don't think I've ever seen Bart so touched by a gesture. And of course the kids got such a kick out of it! I also got to go to Colorado to visit my cousin Courtney. Kristy and our cousin Megan came too and we just had the best time! Courtney is always such a great host and made us Moms feel like royalty with everything being taken care of. Cousin time is so rare and treasured! Thank you for such an amazing time Court and Cody! At the end of the month we had our annual TST party. This time we rented a beach house in New Smyrna and partied for the weekend. It coincided with Halloween so the kids dressed up and trick or treated in the house. We really do have the best team of people at TST. It was the perfect way to close down the summer!
The menu...
What's dinner without a show?
Courtney and Cody's beautiful home.
Cousins!
It was quite the drive to get to the hot springs but totally worth it!
Ain't no party like a TST Halloween party.
The girls wanted me to straighten their hair...
Arya's (Summer's bff) birthday party at the beach.
Dynoclimb!
November
In November we celebrated Summer's 3rd birthday with a party at her favorite place at the time, the bowling alley. It was a "mimi mouse" theme of course and Erica made an amazing cake for the occasion. The kids had a BLAST and the adults even did too! We also celebrated two Thanksgivings. We had our Thanksgiving in our new home which had finally finished being built. We didn't have any furniture in there yet but Gabe and Chelsey had no problem joining us for a Thanksgiving feast anyway! We also went to California to celebrate Thanksgiving a bit early to avoid holiday travel. I have always loved Thanksgiving at my Aunt Colleen and Uncle Bill's house. It's a tradition with so many memories attached. And now we've created the new tradition of spending some time at the Newport Marriott Villas afterward. Always a good time with family!
November was also a particularly stressful month as this is when we listed our house on the market. We had so many offers fall through, even once in escrow. There were a lot of emotional ups and downs but it did eventually sell and was a pretty easy process. It's so bitter sweet saying goodbye to a home. We made so many memories at 3625, the most notable being that both kids were born there! But it just felt right to close that chapter and move onto the next. And thankfully the move was fairly simple since we didn't have to go too far!
Final days on the Royal Fern community dock.
That hair!
I'm 3!
First pee in her new toilet.
Inaugural oven use.
Our Thanksgiving feast. Not too shabby!
Can't visit California without a trip to In-N-Out.
December
The holidays are always a bit crazy for most. However December 2020 definitely kicked it up a notch! We wrapped up the sale of the old house, moved into the new house, hosted our company Christmas party while still moving in, had Gracie's dance recital, and ended it all with a quiet, low key Christmas at home. In the middle of it all we had several issues with the new house including a backed up septic. That was fun. But we made the most of all of it and still managed to feel the Christmas magic through it all. It was our first holiday in our new home! An unforgettable day.
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